


Bulb of Remembrance

by sugarblossom



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-02
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2021-01-16 20:30:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,460
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21277259
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sugarblossom/pseuds/sugarblossom
Summary: As the Alola class departs in their ways, Mallow feels a bit left behind. Ash wants to help Mallow remember the times they had together, how will he do it?





	Bulb of Remembrance

“And say hi to Tate and Liza for me! Good luck!” Ash yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth. Sophocles waved back with a nod and grin as Pikachu jumped onto Ash’s head. As Sophocles disappears from sight, Ash turned, watching Lana and Mallow hug. He walked next to Mallow as Lana also faded from their sights, Manaphy pamphlet clutched tightly in her hand as the ship bellowed.

“...So. There goes half our class!” Mallow cheered with a proud smile.

Ash ran a hand over Pikachu’s fluffy fur, his permanent Pikashunium Z gleaming under the setting sun. “Where’s Kiawe?”

Mallow’s smile wavered for a moment. “He’s… trying to conquer an island challenge. Experience, right?” Mallow’s Tsareena came over, Shaymin in her arms. 

“Guess it’s just us two then.” Ash glanced towards Professor Kukui and Rotomdex, who was busy talking with the Alolan citizens.

Mallow mumbled, “It could have been just me if you didn’t come back earlier.” Ash arched an eyebrow, and Mallow shook her head. Pikachu’s ears sagged, twitching back and forth as he chirped to Tsareena.

“...Yeah um, ok. What do you wanna do?” The distant chirping of Pikipeks filled the silence.

Taking a deep breath of the salty air, Mallow closed her eyes. “Do you mind coming with me to collect a few berries for the restaurant?” 

“Oh of course not! Let’s go!” Pikachu leaped off Ash’s head, running with him towards the forest. Mallow soon caught up with Ash as they took in the sight of the bright green trees with awe. While some still had specks of flowers ranging from white to pink, the rest of the trees had glossy fruit hanging from every branch on the verge of succumbing to gravity. 

“Pretty, huh?” Mallow gestured towards the blossoms, her Tsareena caressing a branch filled with tiny yellow flowers. “Enjoy it while you still can.” Ash and Pikachu froze.

“What do you mean?”

Mallow was silent, only stiffening when Ash waved a hand in front of her face. “Oh, I was just thinking about how fleeting these things are. A few weeks later, they’ll all be gone.” Ash’s eyebrows furrowed, even more so when Shaymin hopped out of Tsareena’s arm, running ahead. Pikachu gave a soft chirp as Mallow’s smile dropped, all of them hurrying after Shaymin into a clearing filled with...

“Gracidea flowers,” Ash muttered, gaping at the field of pink flowers. Each plant was perfectly identical to the next, almost like they were copy-pasted, and so pretty they might as well be from a scene in a fantasy story. Mallow sure wished it was.

“You’ll be gone too, Shaymin?” she whispered. A soft summer breeze flew by, ruffling Pikachu’s fur and scattering the Gracidea pollen over Shaymin, turning it into Sky Forme. Pikachu stepped forward, nuzzling Shaymin’s cheeks while Ash stared between Shaymin and Mallow. “...Well, thank you. Thank you for staying with me these last few days.” Shaymin floated upwards, twirling around Tsareena, before landing in Mallow’s cupped hands. “I’ll miss you. Goodbye.” The warm breeze was suffocating, amplifying the tension until it finally snapped. Shaymin dipped its head at Mallow and flew away without a word.

Ash watched Mallow turn to him with a giant grin that split her face. “Well, let’s get back to work!” Tsareena brushed her leaves back, eyelashes fluttering.

“Are you alright?”

“Of course, why do you ask?” Mallow’s voice wasn’t as upbeat as usual, and she crossed her arms. Pikachu climbed onto Ash’s shoulder, and they both put on empathetic faces.

“How about we just relax a bit?” Mallow’s smile slipped for a moment as she bobbed her head up and down. A few Petilil ran from the two as they walked aimlessly around the forest. Pikachu sniffed the air, waving a paw towards a tree. Ash stopped, staring up the tree with a curious grin.

Mallow and Tsareena walked next to Ash, the latter’s flower-like hair bouncing up and down. “A Plumeria tree, huh?” Pikachu hopped onto one of the lower branches, ears slanted to the side as he and his trainer took a breath of the sweet smell, mesmerized by the overlapping petals. 

“Oh, and what’s this one?” Ash and Pikachu hopped over, pointing at a bundle of small white flowers.

“Pikake flowers?” Mallow murmured, watching the two gush over plants with a sweatdrop. Ash stroked the flower’s smooth petals, before puffing out his chest and marching forward, careful not to step on any Petilils.

Ash and Pikachu brushed aside a few branches, staring at a yellow flower with a pink border. “...We like this one!”

Mallow sighed, “You don’t even know it’s a Hibiscus, do you? Then again, the most beautiful lasts the shortest.” Pikachu gave a sad coo as Ash stared out at the forest.

“Which makes them all the more precious.” Even Pikachu stared at Ash as he simply grinned. “...You know, I’ve met Manaphy before.”

Mallow’s eyes widened. “You didn’t tell Lana-”

“One of my friends from Hoenn hatched it,” Ash continued like he didn’t hear Mallow, squatting and cupping the Hibiscus flower. “As you could imagine, we got really close to it before it had to leave.” His eyebrows crinkled as he stared intensely at the flower. “I’ve encountered this plenty of times. Manaphy wasn’t our pokemon, but we were still sad to see it go. I’m guessing that’s how you feel?” 

Mallow froze, shoes digging at the damp soil. “Look, I knew it was gonna happen. Friends come and go.” Tsareena side-eyed Mallow, stepping closer to her.

“But real friendships last forever!” Ash shot back up to his feet, eyes starry.

After a pause, Mallow giggled. “That’s not how it goes! It’s ‘but family lasts forever.’” Pikachu glanced at a cackling Tsareena as Ash’s grin only grew. 

“Family, huh.”

“...Wait, you don’t mean- oh Tapu, Ash, I-” Mallow cut herself off as Ash watched in confusion. “I’m sorry, I don’t see us as more than friends at most!”

“Well, yeah, what else would we be?” Pikachu face planted, before climbing onto Ash’s shoulder and shoving at his cheek.

Mallow sighed, patting Ash’s shoulder. “Never mind. Come on, let’s make the most of the time before you leave as well.” The shadows stretched out against the back of the trees as Mallow and her only pokemon gracefully skipped ahead like ballet dancers hiding their pains.

“...Hey Mallow? Do you want me to stay a bit longer in Alola?”

Mallow pulled down a Pecha Berry, shaking her head. “No, Ash, don’t worry about me. I’m just not used to things like this. Unlike you.”

“Hold on, your feelings are valid-”

“I know.”

Ash fell silent. A soft gust of wind blew by, rustling the leaves and creating a pitter-pattering sound. He stepped next to Mallow and gently picked a few berries, taking a bite out of one of them and savouring the crispy sweet flavour that burst like popcorn. Pikachu climbed up the tree, sniffing at the fruit and tugging them off for Ash to catch. A few Petilils walked over, tilting their heads as Mallow stared at them. Ash, with an arm full of fruit, asked her, “Do you want to catch one?”

Mallow froze, taking a sharp breath while glancing at Tsareena. “That would be nice, but I didn’t bring-” Pikachu gave a sharp chirp, dropping onto Ash’s head and squishing against the sleeping Rowlet in his bag, pulling out a shrunken Friend Ball. Mallow made a questioning noise as Pikachu dropped the pokeball in Ash’s palm and Ash squatted down next to the Petilils, holding out a berry. The Petilils glanced at each other, and the one in front took the large berry.

“Does any of you want to go with my friend Mallow? She makes really yummy food!” he asked, letting Pikachu jump back down, cooing and gesturing at Mallow. One, in particular, stepped forward and put a hand on Mallow’s shoe as Ash stood back up and held the pokeball out to her. “Do you want me to capture her?”

“...Did you plan this?”

Ash shrugged. “I got a pokeball for all of my friends here. A Heal Ball, Cherish Ball, Fast Ball, Lure Ball, and now a Friend Ball.” He glanced down at the Petilil. “This was not planned.”

“Is that’s why you were gone this morning-” Mallow cut herself off as Ash dropped the Friend Ball in her hand. “Wait, are you...”

“Experience, right?” Ash echoed with a toothy grin. “Now go on, don’t keep your little friend waiting!”

Tsareena gave a nod to Mallow, who squatted next to the Petilil. Mallow’s eyes glistened under the sunset, shining like fresh pinap juice. Ash and Pikachu exchanged a smile as Mallow caught Petilil, gratitude clear in her eyes. “I will never forget this year.”

**Author's Note:**

> Because Mallow never actually captured a new pokemon, and everyone has to leave at one point.  
Welp, I'm not ready for this Sunday, at all. :D


End file.
